10 Downing Street
London, The United Kingdom
2nd May 1941
“So what you’re saying is that the Germans like their new French masters? I found that hard to believe.”, Prime Minister Winston Churchill puffed on his cigar while looking sceptically at the chief of the Secret Intelligence Service.
“Not really, no, but they do appreciate that the French authorities have been pouring in money to rebuild houses, factories and infrastructure, and the fact that they are left alone as long as they pay their taxes. The people are tired of war and they are much better off than their relatives on the other side of the Rhine. Also, the French have done a marvellous job of swiftly integrating the Ruhr industry into their economy. But I guess the fact that they are expanding their army and air force at a furious rate made the job a lot easier.” Brigadier Stewart Menzies took another sip of his scotch.
Churchill was just about to reply when there was a polite nock of the door. “Yes, what is it?” The door was opened by a servant, “Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary to see you Sir.” Churchill glared at the man, “I told you to let him in for God’s sake, get on with it!”
“Yes Sir.” The door was closed again. Churchill looked back at Menzies. “This American business has developed at a very inconvenient time I must say. A war between France and Russia will determine the future of the European order and possibly the world’s. What is this fool Roosevelt thinking?!” The Prime Minister drained his glass.
“Yes, these are dangerous times Sir, but in the end the Americans must realized that…”, Menzies was interrupted by Anthony Eden entering the room. “Good evening Prime Minister, Menzies.”
“Please sit down Anthony.”
“Thank you.” Eden sat down in one of the comfortable reading chairs.
“Something to drink? A cigar perhaps?”
“No, thank you.”
“Then let’s get down to business. These new developments in the United States are very troubling indeed. They threaten the balance of power and could very well shake the world’s power structure. I have therefore decided that we will have recurring meetings, just the three of us, to discuss possible ways to handle this growing crisis. Obviously, decisions of this magnitude will be taken in conferences with the entire cabinet but I want a good grasp on our options and their possible ramifications before debating final decisions.” The two other men nodded in agreement. “Now, Anthony, I believe you have just met the American ambassador, any news?”
“Yes and no Prime Minister. The ambassador listened politely to our grievances and was most apologetic, although he could offer nothing in the form of reassurances that the Canadian situation will not deteriorate further. As a matter of a fact he showed signs of not having the least trust in his government’s judgement. Simply put, he looked scared.”
“What the hell is happening in Washington? When did it start to go wrong?”
“Well, to our knowledge it started a week into April. The American ambassador in Mexico initiated talks to discuss the possibility for a US archaeological mission to the Mayan sites on the Yucatan peninsula. It soon became apparent that they wanted to lease a large swat of land around these sites with a corridor leading to a suitable spot at the ocean, where a port could be built. They also want the right to station a sizable military presence. At first the Mexican government refused, but after, according to our intelligence, substantial bribes had been distributed among key cabinet members, a new willingness to reach an agreement seems to exist. Now, we can only speculate on what reason Washington has with this policy. Maybe the reference to the archaeological mission is just an excuse to tighten their power in Central America, but it is of course completely out of character for this administration. The real surprise came a week later when the American ambassador in Ottawa informed the Canadian foreign minister that it wanted a similar agreement that they were negotiating for in Mexico, but this time it was concerning ancient Indian Cult sites in Quebec. Our Canadian friends first met these requests with friendly counter proposals of joint excavations of the sites but to everyone’s surprise the Americans refused and demanded exclusive access and a lease of the surrounding area for at least thirty years, just like in Mexico.”
Eden rose, walked over to the drinking cabinet and poured himself a glass of scotch before continuing to talk while standing. “Of course the Canadians were as baffled and outraged at this behaviour as the members of the American House of Representatives were, when they learnt of the demands, just days after Ottawa was approached. For a week, the press, congressmen, and senators publicly criticized Roosevelt with increasing intensity. As a result, The President chose to consult with leading members of both parties to inform them of his reasons for this dangerous foreign policy. In the end he had meetings with all members of Congress and the Senate and we’re dumbfounded at the result: the President now enjoys full support from both parties in the growing crisis with Canada. Of course the press is even more outraged now, and public speculation on what the President said in these meetings is rampant. That’s all of it I think.”
The room was quiet for a couple of minutes while the men pondered this new and unfathomable problem. Eden’s recapitulation didn’t hold any news for Churchill and Menzies, but the sheer absurdity and danger of the situation was even clearer now. Finally the Prime Minister spoke, “We need more information about what is happening in the White House. Menzies?”
“Prime Minister, I have two bits of information that I’m afraid both you and the Foreign Secretary will find most disconcerting.” The Spy Master’s face betrayed how troubled he really was. “First, we have learned that Roosevelt, in a meeting with the Commanders in Chief of the Army and the Navy and other senior officers, asked for information on the strength and readiness of all US forces. The President was apparently not very impressed with the answer he got and then continued to ask how soon they could be ready for war. When the baffled Chiefs jokingly asked who the enemy was, the President answered Canada and possibly Mexico.”
“Oh my God, and this is reliable?”
“We believe it to be, yes.”
“I’d say that Roosevelt is mad, but in that case it must be contagious, if one considers the legislature’s sudden change of mind. War with Canada? It must be some sort of misunderstanding. It must be.”
Eden looked disgusted and drained his scotch. “We can only hope so, but in any event, we need to start thinking about our obligations to our Canadian friends. Maybe a public reaffirmation of our…”
“No, not now. We don’t want to worsen the situation in any way. I cannot…I will not believe that our American friends will push their insane demand to the brink…I will not.”
“I’m afraid there is more Prime Minister.” Menzies looked apologetic.
“What is it man?”
“We have fairly reliable information that low level talks has been going on between America and Japan for at least a month. Our source claims that US Foreign Secretary Cordell Hull will head a delegation to Tokyo within days. An unusually large group of military officers is said to be accompanying Mr. Hull.”
Eden and Churchill stared at each other in disbelief, but then the Prime Minister seemed to collect himself. “This is most troubling, but we’re letting our imagination run wild. This doesn’t necessarily mean a shift in US Asian foreign policy…still…”
“I still think we should show our support for Canada in some way. Maybe we could move some troops over there.” Eden sat down again.
“No no, it’s too early for such measures. I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“But a joint naval exercise…”
“No.” Churchill's eyes said it all, the subject was closed. “Tell me…any reactions from Paris?”
“None Sir. Foreign Minister Maret loves the role of the great mediator, but for some reason they haven’t responded in any way yet.”
“Not that surprising really, with war looming with the Soviet Union, the last thing they need is any other foreign entanglements.”
“So what do we do now?” Eden said.
“We wait and see how this nightmare develops. Hopefully we’ll wake up and find that it was all just a bad dream…”
Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden and Stewart Menzies met to discuss
the surprising and frightening changes in American foreign policy.
